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W-H falls to Westwood in Hingham Holiday Hoops Classic

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Senior captain Taylor McVeigh (22) and sophomore guard Kathryn Dunn (33) join the battle for ball control under the boards vs. Westwood in the Hingham Holiday Classic. / Photo by: Nate Rollins

The Panthers dropped to 2-3 on the season with a loss to Westwood.

HINHGAM – A late Panthers charge was not enough Friday evening as the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ basketball team fell to Westwood 47-40 in the consolation game of the Hingham Holiday Hoops Classic.

“I told the girls it’s never a matter about play as hard as we can, you always bring that intensity,” W-H head coach Jenna Olem said. “It’s about playing a little bit smarter, taking care of the ball a little bit better and really just our Achilles’ heel all year has just been being able to put the ball in the basket when it counts.”

The Panthers hung with the Wolverines for a majority of the contest but a tough third quarter proved too much to overcome.

W-H (2-3) found itself in a hole early on as Westwood opened the game on a 7-2 run, sparked by five points from senior captain Haley Connaughton, as the Wolverines knocked down three of their first seven shots from the field.

The Panthers, despite nine turnovers in the quarter, clawed their way back to tie the game at 10-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Westwood (5-1), which connected on four of its first seven field goals to begin the second, started to ramp up the defensive pressure on the Panthers — limiting them to eight points in the quarter — and took a 23-18 advantage into halftime.

The Wolverines opened the third quarter on a 5-0 run to push their lead to double digits at 28-18.

Back-to-back field goals extended the Wolverines, who missed a string of nine consecutive field goals in the quarter, lead even further as they held W-H to four points to extend their lead to 35-22 entering the final frame.

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Senior captain Sarah Saccardo spots up for a potential 3-pointer. / Photo by: Nate Rollins

“Sometimes we’re just beating ourselves in not being able to capitalize on the chances we need to and not go on enough runs,” Olem said. “We’ll get stops, but we won’t get any baskets to counter those stops.”

Back in it

Trailing 43-32 with 2:08 to go, things started to jell for the Panthers offense as they went on an 8-2 run — capped by Erin Leahy’s 3-pointer — to slice the Wolverines lead to 45-40 with nine ticks remaining.

However, Westwood was able to successfully inbound the ball after the make and two makes from the charity stripe squashed the W-H comeback.

“We only scored four points in the third quarter and then I put my defensive lineup in there a little bit and we held them and we scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and definitely gave ourselves a chance to win,” Olem said

McVeigh paced the Panther attack with 11 points as O’Brien chipped in nine.

At the conclusion of the game, McVeigh and O’Brien were named to the All-Tournament Team.

“They’re phenomenal,” Olem said. “I can’t ask for better coached players, better leaders, more experienced good kids. They’ve given me everything they got every time and they’re a great model for the entire program.”

Season resumes

W-H returns to Patriot League action at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 at Plymouth North.

“We just got to get back to work,” Olem said. “We’ve been practicing really hard. We have to try to win one game each week to get into the tournament.”

Catching up with Brenndan Rogers

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A Q&A with Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum Brenndan Rogers.

Brenndan Rogers had an illustrious career as a two-sport athlete at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

On the hardwood, the shooting guard netted 774 points over his career and played a pivotal role on the Panthers’ school-record 22-win campaign last season that ended at the TD Garden in the Eastern Mass. final — averaging 15.8 points per game in the postseason.

On the diamond, Rogers was eerily as dominant — posting a 7-1 record, one more win than the team had the prior season, and 0.80 earned run average over 52 1/3 innings during his final go-around. In the Panthers’ opening playoff game, Rogers hurled five innings of two-hit ball to power W-H past Somerset Berkley 11-0.

Last March, Rogers committed to play basketball at New England College, where he majors in business. In nine games for NEC, the Hanson native is averaging 10.1 points per game and is shooting 42.1 percent from the field for a Pilgrims squad (7-2) that is off to its best start since 2010-11.

The Express caught up with Rogers to reflect on his time at W-H and to see how he is adapting to college thus far.

Q: What did you learn on the hardwood at W-H?

A: “The importance of teamwork and working with a good group of guys towards a common goal. Also, the value of hard work and doing everything in life with your best effort.”

Q: How has the transition to college been on the court?

A: “The transition into college sports is just the beginning of a new process. You’re now at a level where you’re competing against the best of the best high school athletes. Also, you’re going up against guys that are grown men at 23 or 24 years old. Everything in your game has to be taken up a notch and your body needs to be at top shape. But most importantly, trusting the process with your teammates and coaches to become a successful athlete at a higher level.”

Q: How has the transition to college been in the classroom?

A: “Moving from high school to college classes was a big jump for me. I wasn’t the best high school student so it was important for me to bear down and get good grades. The work is a lot more challenging, but the professors prepare you well enough so that you can deal with the assignments. You also have a lot more time to complete assignments so time can be helpful.”

Q: What is one valuable lesson you acquired at W-H that you have taken to the collegiate ranks?

A: “A valuable lesson learned in high school was that everything happens for a reason. And no matter how hard life can be sometimes, you should never let it affect who you are.”

Q: What’s your fondest memory from W-H?

A: “My fondest memory at W-H would definitely be bringing the entire school and community to TD Garden during my senior basketball season. We had an amazing run and were one of the best teams in school history. On the other side during baseball, pitching and winning the first tournament game in eight years for W-H was a great moment for me.”

Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete and how has s/he inspired you?

A: “My favorite professional athlete would defiantly have to be Paul Pierce. He was a big inspiration growing up, watching him lead the Celtics for so many successful seasons. He inspired me to push through any hard times and difficulties as he went through some rough years in Boston but always stuck through it with the team.”

Q: What goes into your offseason preparation?

A: “The offseason was full of a lot of running and weight lifting. Going from high school to college sports calls for a lot of preparation going into the season. Running helped with staying in shape and getting faster for a fast pace college game. Weight lifting was important to get stronger to play with older and experienced competition.”

Q: What day of the week do you most look forward to?

A: “My favorite day of the week is either Friday, or Saturday. Both days are usually when I have games so it’s the highlight of the week.”

Q: What’s your favorite food?

A: “My favorite food is either chicken or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Both have been my top favorite foods since I was a kid.”

Q: What’s been your biggest accomplishment at college thus far?

A: “My biggest accomplishment so far in college would either be my team’s success, or my personal success in the classroom. Our team ended first semester at 7-2, and is heading into next semester with a lot of momentum. In the classroom, I finished the semester with a 3.4 GPA.”

Season Preview: Next goals in the pool: Girls’ swim team members showing growth, potential for coming season

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Middleboro/Whitman-Hanson girls’ high school swimming/diving head coach Sean Siciliano feels his team has “good variety” in the events as it prepares for the new season.

The Middleboro/Whitman-Hanson girls’ swimming/diving team is eager to make a splash this winter.

Five years back, in an effort to offer more females the opportunity to participate in sports at Whitman-Hanson, the school partnered with the longstanding Middleboro girls’ swimming team to form a co-op.

Swimming is one of the unique sports which focus on both individual and team results. Not only can the club qualify for the postseason, but each individual swimmer can as well based on personal times throughout the season and as part of relay teams.

Legacy

One key swimmer the club will be poised with finding a replacement for is Abigail Bailey (Whitman-Hanson). The two-time captain was tabbed a Patriot League All-Star over her final two seasons and was part of the fastest 400-yard freestyle relay team in program history, ranks eighth in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the 200 individual medley.

From Middleboro, 2015-16 Patriot League All-Stars Lauren Foley and Alyssa Lusardi boasted lustrous careers also, having both qualified for states last winter.

Each meet features a wide array of events including: the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle, 1-meter dive, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard freestyle relay. Coach Sean Siciliano said depending on the meet and the other teams’ times, swimmers will be shuffled around so they can maximize their score.

“Based on the first couple weeks, I think we will have good variety,” Siciliano said. “We have many girls that should be very versatile in multiple events, which is always helpful in swimming.”

Returning

Junior Phoebe Bonney is one returning swimmer Siciliano said he will be leaning on to have a solid season for multiple factors.

“I think that her versatility and her leadership will be huge for the team this year,” the third-year coach said.

As for newcomers, freshman Niki Kamperides has caught the eye of Siciliano thus far.

“She has shown great growth through the first couple weeks and I feel that she will be a big part of the team’s success,” Siciliano said.

After its first two contests, the club will break for the holiday and Siciliano said he always looks ahead to that next battle, which will be on Tuesday, Jan. 3 this season.

“I am looking forward to the North Quincy meet,” Siciliano said. “We have double sessions all week. Our athletes come out in amazing shape and do some great times after this week.”

W-H on deck

In addition to Bonney and Kamperides, other Whitman-Hanson swimmers on the roster include: Mary Hutchings, Maeve McDonough, Maddie Navicky, Sabrina O’Connor and Nadear Suraphanpirosh.

Middleboro/Whitman-Hanson girls’ swimming will take on Rockland Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 4:30 p.m. at Burkland Pool in Middleboro to kick off its slate of meets.

“I hope to continue to grow the program and get more girls to swim and continue to grow the great partnership that we have with Middleborough,” Siciliano said.

Season Preview: Wrestlers hit mat with big plans for 2016-17 season

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Gary Rabinovitz is embarking on his first season as a wrestling head coach.

With its new campaign approaching, Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team is expecting a lively season on the mat as it nears a major milestone.

After serving as an assistant coach to Dr. Kevin Broderick for the past two seasons, Gary Rabinovitz has taken over the reins of the wrestling squad.

Rabinovitz is no stranger to W-H, having also served as an assistant to Bob Gray back in 1988-89, as well as participating on the first ever Panther wrestling squad in 1977-78.

The 1990 Whitman-Hanson Hall of Fame inductee said the camaraderie within the team has been exceptional out of the gate and feels it will work in its favor this winter.

“Wrestling is like family,” Rabinovitz said. “One of our biggest strengths is helping each other to get better every day.”

Leading the charge at either the 106- or 113-pound class will be one of the Panthers’ key returnees from a year ago, co-captain Jake Filicicchia.

“Jake had an outstanding year in 2015-16 and continued all offseason, wrestling and preparing for a great senior year,” Rabinovitz said. “Jake is truly committed to be the best he can be and works hard at getting better every day.”

Senior John Will joins Filicicchia as a co-captain this year and will anchor the 220-pound weight class.

“John had an impressive junior season, winning a majority of his matches by pinfall,” Rabinovitz said.

Rabinovitz also expects contributions from seniors Josh Baker (145 pounds), Alex O’Roak (182) and Kevin Smith (145).

Rabinovitz said he credits the Whitman-Hanson youth program for helping develop numerous wrestlers, including freshman Steven Brooks (138) and Matt Rock (120) and sophomore Joel McInnis (132-138), who he feels will provide key contributions down the road on his club.

“We look to these young men to play important roles this season,” Rabinovitz said.

Junior Steve Osborne (160-170), who took a year off from the mat last season, was the recipient of captain of the week, a newly installed crown to entice additional leadership within the program.

“I am looking for great things from Steve this season,” Rabinovitz said.

Also, catching the eye of the first-year Panther head coach thus far has been junior Logan Scriven (152-160).

“[He] seems to be coming into his own,” Rabinovitz said. “Logan competes hard day in and day out and I look for great things to come from him.”

With wrestling being one of the more unique sports, relying on individual and team performance, Rabinovitz said he is looking forward to two big dates on his club’s docket of contests.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, W-H will be unveiling its brand-new state champions banner before its meet against Quincy. The wrestling squad has produced eight individual state champions, who have been invited back for this event.

The Panthers will compete in a quad home meet Saturday, Jan. 21 and celebrate with hopefully all their past state champions, four of whom live out of state, over the past near four decades of W-H wrestling. Rabinovitz said hopes all former Panther wrestlers attend.

One key number to focus on is 500. The Panthers sit at 498 career victories as the season approaches.

W-H opens its schedule Saturday, Dec. 10 at North Attleboro against East Providence and Pathfinder.

“We are a very young team with several empty weight classes so I look to be competitive in every match we wrestle,” Rabinovitz said.

No. 300 for Floeck: W-H coach credits his staff consistency for milestone win

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Photo by: Sue Moss

David Floeck has won his 300th game at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

After the dust settled, the final whistle was blown and the score final, Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ soccer head coach David Floeck had recorded his 300th career victory on the sidelines for the Panthers.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have great players,” Floeck said. “Year in and year out, great players come to us, and that’s a credit to the youth leagues.” 

It was a hard-fought game for the W-H on Tuesday, Oct. 18, but its 2-0 win over Plymouth North was enough to secure the milestone for Floeck.

After W-H athletic director Bob Rodgers alerted fans Floeck, who also serves as the school’s assistant principal, was on the verge of the 300 mark, more emphasis was put on W-H’s Saturday tilt versus Hingham as he sat at 299. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Floeck was turned back after a 2-1 loss, so he had to wait until Tuesday’s game.

Besides the constant infusion of talented players into the system, Floeck credits the consistency of his coaching staff as a large piece of his success. Tom Zamagni has been with Floeck since he started coaching at W-H 21 years ago, Brandon Dineen has guided the Panthers’ JV team for 13 years and Glenn Ward, who Floeck replaced in 1996, is now the head coach of the freshman team.

“When you try to implement a philosophy in the program, in terms of our core values and things that we stand for, it’s nice when we have a coaching staff that knows what we’re trying to do at all three levels,” Floeck said.

Floeck’s coaching career began in 1990, when he was hired to head the East Bridgewater boys’ soccer team, where he worked until 1995. Ironically for Floeck, he said he actually never thought about coaching girls.

“It was a difficult switch,” Floeck said. “But, I took the leap and I couldn’t be happier.”

One of the most influential figures in Floeck’s life he said was his father. Josef Floeck, born in Germany, played an instrumental role in getting his son involved in the game and also played a key role in helping establish soccer at East Bridgewater High School and was one of the founding members of the South Shore League.

“Soccer has always been a huge part of our family and it still is today,” Floeck said. “As soon as we could walk in the house, we were kicking a soccer ball.”

The girls’ soccer team will be back on the field Saturday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Weymouth.

Matt Evans commits to Trinity College, football team

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Matt Evans will play football at Trinity College next year.

Hardworking, tough, and intelligent is how Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior Matt Evans describes his uncle, now he gets the chance to follow in his footsteps on the gridiron.

It’s not often that a child gets to turn on the television and say, “Hey, there is my uncle”. But, for Evans that was the case.

Throughout his childhood, Evans grew up admiring his uncle Matt Tower. Tower stared on the Boston College Eagles from 1998-2001.

“I was just a little kid watching him, but I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Evans said. “That’s probably where I first fell in love with the game and I owe him that.”

Now, the 6-foot-3 Evans will be making his own mark at the next level, after announcing his commitment to play football at Trinity College in the fall. Evans, a three-year varsity player, contributed on both ends of the ball as a center and defensive end for the Panthers.

“Trinity is a good fit for me because college is supposed to set you up for a good career for the rest of your life and I believe Trinity will do just that,” Evans said.

Evans, a Whitman resident, has amassed some incredible feats during his time at Whitman-Hanson. Evans has been tabbed a WATD Player of the Week, an Enterprise All-Scholastic, been a part of the boys’ basketball team’s record-setting run, and will compete in the Shriners All-Star Football Classic.

Evans said his proudest moment on the field for the Panthers came during their 41-12 win over rival Abington, their first win over the Green Wave since 2011.

“The turkey that day seemed just a little bit better than usual,” Evans said. “I had a crowd of 15-20 family members cheering me on so that goes to show the support from them.”

Whitman-Hanson Regional High football head coach Mike Driscoll said he hopes one key aspect of Evans’ daily grind rubs off on his younger players heading into next season.

“Hard work in the offseason leads to results on the field,” Driscoll said.

As he prepares for the fall, Evans said he isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary and is just following his routine that has gotten him to this point.

“I’ve just been continuing to go to the gym and workout for next season to prep my body for college football,” Evans said.

Evans added he couldn’t have gotten to this point without guidance from many important people.

“I just want to thank my coaches, my teammates, and of course my parents for supporting me playing football and giving me memories that will last forever,” he said. 

Coletti runs to West Point

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Samantha Colleti will run at Army West Point next season. The Whitman-Hanson Regional High senior is a heralded runner.

One local Hanson resident is taking her talents to the collegiate level by a different route.

Samantha Coletti has officially received her appointment from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Coletti, a senior at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, first showed interest in attending the United States Military Academy before the school year began. Coletti reached out to the track coach about it via email over the summer, and said she was thrilled when she heard the news that she was accepted.

“I remember running downstairs in excitement after getting a call from [the track coach] a few days later,” Coletti said.

W-H girls’ indoor trach head coach, Steve George, said Coletti is the type of athlete coaches dream of having. Screen Shot 2018-01-14 at 11.00.13 AM

“Samantha is one of those student-athletes that comes along rarely, if ever, for most coaches,” George said. “I was aware of Samantha when she was in middle school, but didn’t have the opportunity to work with her until two years ago when I got the Whitman-Hanson coaching position. I kidded one of Samantha’s neighbors while I was still coaching at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham that I would be happy to pay Samantha’s tuition if she would transfer to NDA.”

Coletti said she has been running for about nine years, with four at the high school level. Her list of achievements while running for Whitman-Hanson Regional High Schoolis immense.

“My biggest accomplishments so far have been being the first Whitman-Hanson girl to win two state titles in one day,” Coletti said. “I won the MIAA Division 3 indoor mile and the MIAA Division 3 1,000-meter races.”

George said Coletti’s success stems from her passion and dedication to running.

“She is physically gifted, mentally tough, and follows our training platform to perfection, but running for her is not drudgery as it is for some,” George said. “It is what she enjoys doing. Loving your work makes it easier to succeed.”

Coletti said she has gained a wealth of knowledge over her time in high school.

“What I’ve learned at Whitman-Hanson is how important team is,” Coletti said. “You can’t do anything by yourself. On the track team, everyone is important.”

Coletti is a year-round competitor. She ran cross country in the fall, is running indoor track this winter and will run outdoor track in the spring.

As for the next level, Coletti said she is most excited to be a part of the traditions at West Point and to build strong relationships with her fellow cadets and eventually become a leader in the Army.

When Coletti isn’t running, she said she has an interest in art and an eagerness to spend time with friends andfamily. There is one more message that she would like to convey to everyone who made this opportunity come true.

There is one more message that she would like to convey to everyone who made this opportunity come true.

“I want to say thank you to anyone who has supported me,” Coletti said. “My family, coach, friends and teachers, I really appreciate everything you have done for me.”